Originally known as simply the Pennyrile Parkway, the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway connects Hopkinsville and Henderson. It parallels US 41 for much of its route. The road was opened as a toll road in 1969; tolls were lifted in 1992 after the parkway’s bonds were paid off ten-years ahead of schedule.

On September 13, 2000, the parkway was renamed after Edward T. Breathitt who was governor of Kentucky from 1963-1967. Governor Breathitt died due to complications resulting from an irregular heartbeat on Oct. 14, 2003. More information: Courier-Journal Obituary

Mile markings on the parkway start at mile 7 in anticipation of a long-proposed connection between the parkway at US 41A and Interstate 24 south of Hopkinsville. As of early 2004, construction of this extension is included in the six-year highway plan.

Prior to removal of the tolls from the entire route, there was a free section between exits 30 and exit 44. This part of the highway was also designated as US 41; however, that route number now has been removed from the highway and applied to a section of highway through Nortonville, Mortons Gap, and Madisonville that was previously designated US 41A.

The parkway is four-lane full-controlled access highway for its entire length.

The Pennyrile Parkway officially ends at the US 41 exit 78 interchange in Henderson; however, the exit numbering scheme continues northward along US 41 to the exit 81 interchange between US 60, US 41A, and US 41.

Trivia:

The parkway is 71.306 miles long.

The parkway is designated as state route EB 9004 in official route logs.

The southern terminus of the parkway is numbered exit 7 and was constructed in such a way to facilitate the proposed southern extension.

A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans a traffic shift in the work zone for the New I-69 Interchange with the Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway in HOPKINS County on Friday, July 24, 2015.

Starting Friday morning, the contractor plans to change southbound traffic on the Pennyrile Parkway to the permanent traffic configuration. That means southbound traffic on the Pennyrile will remain on the southbound lanes of I-69 along the main line, then exit left to continue south on the Pennyrile toward Hopkinsville or to take the exit ramp to the Western Kentucky Parkway eastbound lanes.

The movement for southbound traffic wishing to remain on the Pennyrile will require going over the new overpass to get back to the southbound Pennyrile or to access the existing cloverleaf ramp to the right for eastbound WK Parkway access.

Motorists should continue to use appropriate caution in this work zone and be prepared for lane restrictions to allow additional construction activities along the interchange.

The $29 million design-build contract to reconstruct the interchange to accommodate Interstate 69 was awarded to the Rogers Group, Inc., and QK4 Inc., with an expected completion date in October 2015.

Kentucky now has 55 miles of I-69. The route follows I-24 for 17 miles from The Julian Carroll-Purchase Parkway at Calvert City to Eddyville. I-69 then runs for 38 miles along the former Wendell Ford-Western Kentucky Parkway from Eddyville to the Pennyrile Parkway near Madisonville.

The I-69 Interchange project in Hopkins County is among about 10 major projects totaling $260 million in new construction aimed at extending I-69 northward along the Pennyrile and southward along the Purchase Parkway.

Contracts for the first phase of a project to extend the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway to I-24 are scheduled to be let in November. Construction may begin as early as April. The first phase will extend the parkway to the US 68 By-pass around Hopkinsville.

The final environmental impact statement for the preferred route of I-69 east of Henderson is expected this summer. The United Stated Department of Transportation will likely issue a record of decision on the route 60 to 90 days after the report’s release. The proposed route would begin at I-164 in Indiana, cross the Ohio River east of US 41, and cross the Audubon Parkway before joining the Pennyrile Parkway south of Henderson: Henderson Gleaner: I-69 decision likely this summer (Jan. 20, 2005)

With daytimes beginning to break through the freezing point, refreezing continues to pose a threat to drivers on Kentucky’s highways. Pools of water from melting snow and ice may pool on streets and highways during the day and then refreeze when the temperate drops overnight. Drivers should be weary of black ice—stretches of highways that appear to be damp but in fact are covered by ice.

Current information regarding highway conditions can be found at: www.511.ky.gov.

On Christmas Day, snow and ice remained in the travel lanes of I-65 in several places. In the Louisville area, a number of abandoned vehicles remained along the shoulders and, in some cases, the travel lanes of I-65 and the Watterson Expressway. Secondary routes in both Warren and Jefferson County were still snow and ice covered; as were many of the ramps entering and leaving I-65.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet posts regularly updated traffic advisories to www.511.ky.gov. You can also obtain Kentucky traffic information by calling 1-800-RDREPORT or by dialing 511 from any cell phone.

Repaving of the Henderson Bypass (at the northern end of the Pennyrile Parkway) has been causing traffic backups through the city. In the coming weeks, the project will see the removal of one of the overpasses at the interchange with US 60. The overpass is being removed so that it can be replaced with a new structure.

While several Henderson County road projects are facing delays, transportation officials report that the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Evansville-Henderson section of I-69 should be complete late this year.

Start of the US 60 widening project in southeast Henderson will likely be delayed until 2006 due to slow right-of-way acquisition.

Several miles of the Pennyrile Parkway are due to be repaved once money becomes available, and the twin US 41 bridges over the Ohio River are scheduled to be repainted in 2005 and 2006.

A group of Hopkinsville leaders are lobbying to have I-69 follow the Pennyrile Parkway through Christian County. Current plans are for I-69 to follow the northern tier of the Pennyrile Parkway, the Western Kentucky Parkway, and the Purchase Parkway.

Road work to repave and repair the Henderson Bypass is likely to cause extensive traffic disruptions. Work on the project between the northern end of the Pennyrile Parkway and US 60 began this week and is scheduled to wrap up Nov. 15.

The Indiana Department of Transportation will also be repaving a stretch of US 41 between the Ohio River and the I-164 interchange. This is interesting, since most of that stretch of road is actually in Kentucky.

Transportation Cabinet Secretary Bailey told state legislators on Wednesday that no projects were cut from this year's version of the Six Year Highway plan; however, some projects have delayed due to the states budget problems.

The list of projects is too long to list here; however, some notable projects are listed below.

$118 million for the Louisville-Southern Indiana Bridges Project. Some of this money will be raised by selling bonds that would be repaid when promised federal funding is allocated for the project.

$78 million for reconstruction of the Owensboro bypass to the east of its current alignment. This is meant to improve access to the William H. Natcher Bridge.

Widening of I-64 from Louisville to Shelbyville.

Widening of I-65 from the Tennessee State Line to Bowling Green.

Widening of I-75 in Scott and Grant counties.

Southern extensions of both the Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway and the William H. Natcher Parwkay.

A notable absence from the list is funding for replacing the I-71/I-75 Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River; however, the project remains on the unscheduled needs list and officials claim that it is still a priority. Construction on the project is still over a decade away.

This year the transportation cabinet has split the list into projects that will receive federal funding and projects that will not receive federal funding. Projects that will be funded only by the state are expected to be delayed and will be prioritized by need.

Update (Feb. 29, 2004): More information about projects in particular areas can be found here.

EVANSVILLE-- Maxwell Clay Bailey, Secretary of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and J. Bryan Nicol, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), jointly announced today that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the I-69 extension between Henderson, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana has been approved by the Federal Highway Administration.
“This I-69 corridor will provide an important connection between Kentucky and Indiana,” said Secretary Bailey. “This vital transportation link will mean improved mobility, safer travel and expanded economic opportunities for our states and for the nation.”

The study consists of evaluating the potential of constructing a new interstate highway between the cities of Henderson and Evansville, as well as the potential for a new Ohio River Bridge between the two cities. Although four alternatives were evaluated in detail, the DEIS identifies one of two eastern alternatives, Alternative 2, as the preferred alternative. Alternative 2 will utilize more than 18 miles of existing I-164 before entering new alignment just east of the Green River Road interchange in Evansville. The Alternative will then travel south on new alignment across a new Ohio River bridge crossing where it will connect to the Breathitt Parkway in Henderson, KY. The total length of Alternative 2 is approximately 30.2 miles and is estimated to cost approximately $652 million to construct.

Two alternatives (Alternatives 1 and 1A) west of Evansville were evaluated but are not considered preferred alternatives because of several factors, including impacts to numerous historic properties and construction cost. The construction cost of each of the western alternatives is approximately $1 billion.
A second eastern alternative was also evaluated. Although this alternative, Alternative 3, utilizes approximately 17.2 miles of existing I-164, it travels just east of Angel Mounds State Historic Site, a National Landmark. Alternative 3 would travel south on I-164 and begin new alignment near the I-164/SR 662 interchange. Alternative 3 was not identified as a preferred alternative because of several factors, including impacts to the National Landmark and a high number of residential relocations at I-164/SR662.

Commissioner Nicol said, “This project reinforces the basic purpose and need of constructing and extending a new Interstate 69 that will eventually link us with Canada and Mexico-two of our largest trading partners.”

“The partnership on this project between Indiana and Kentucky has been phenomenal,” added Secretary Bailey. “INDOT, KYTC, the Evansville Urban Transportation Study (EUTS) and the Divisions of the Federal Highway Administration from both Indiana and Kentucky all agree that Alternative 2 is the preferred Alternative based on the initial investigations.”
Public hearings to take comments on the DEIS will be at the Henderson High School gymnasium on March 16 and at Reitz High School in Evansville on March 17. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with formal presentations beginning at 6 p.m. for both hearings. Public comments will be accepted until Monday, April 19, 2004.

Comments can be sent to Mr. Tim Miller, HNTB Corporation, 111 Monument Circle, Suite 1200, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204, or by visiting the project Web site www.i69in-ky.com. Comments on the draft report will be considered before a Final Environmental Impact Statement is published within a year.

Two meeting have been scheduled to discuss the preferred alignment: March 16, 2004 from 5 PM to 9 PM at Henderson County High School Gym and March 17, 2004 from 5 PM to 9 PM at Reitz High School Cafeteria

A study by the Evansville Urban Transportation Survey found that an interstate around the western edge of Evansville would cost $500 million and only carry 7,000 vehicles per day. It is assumed that a route the final preferred route between I-69 and the Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway will follow I-164 in Indiana before crossing into Henderson County east of the city of Henderson.

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has named Kentucky's parkway system and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel as Kentucky's top road project. They also recognized Wendell Ford and Calvin Grayson as the state's top transportation officials.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will be holding a series of four public meetings concerning the route of I-69 between Henderson and Eddyville. I-69 is expected to follow the Pennyrile Parkway and the Western Kentucky Parkway between these two cities.

The recommended route for the southern extension of the Pennyrile Parkway has been announced. The selected route, known as red-2, was chosen because it was cheaper, shorter, requires no relocations, takes less land, breaks up fewer properties, and has a better interchange with I-24 compared to other alternatives. The public is invited to comment on the recommendation until Sept. 4, 2002 at which time the Transportation Cabinet will summarize all information gathered and present the data to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The FHWA will then make a final decision to either approve or revise the recommendation. If approved, right of way acquisition could begin in 2003 with utility relocation in 2004 and construction in 2005.

More information:

KYTC Hand Out - The handout provide information about the project distributed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet at the August 20, 2002 Public Hearing.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will unveil the final decision on the route for an extension of the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway from its current terminus near Hopkinsville to I-24 at a public meeting scheduled for August 20. The extension is expected to cost $79 million and will fill the seven mile gap between the end of the parkway and the interstate. The KYTC has also announced that there will be no permanent closures of state or county highways along the route.

A multi part project to widen US 60 between Henderson and Corydon is included in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Six-Year Plan. A new bypass north of Corydon will also be constructed. Construction is planned to start near Henderson in 2004.

Another Henderson area project is the repaving of the US 41 Henderson by-pass. (The by-pass is at the northern end of the Pennyrile Parkway.) Work there is planned to take place in 2004. The US 41 twin bridges over the Ohio River are planned to be repainted in 2005 and 2006.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has released information about planning for I-69 between Eddyville and Henderson in western Kentucky. The cabinet is studying improvements that would be needed to bring the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway and the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway to interstate standards.

The Indiana Department of Transportation, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and HNTB Corporation held two public meetings this past Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the three favored routes for the I-69 connection between Indiana and Kentucky with local residents. The summary from the local news is that Henderson residents favor the two eastern routes while Evansville residents favor the western route. The Henderson Chamber of Commerce has indicated their support for the eastern routes. I attended the Henderson meeting and overheard some residents' fears that the study has understated the impact of I-69 on houses and farms in eastern Henderson County. Some Henderson residents have suggested building I-69 even further to the east than what is currently proposed. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be completed by early 2003, with a final statement and approval by the Federal Highway Administration following in 2004.

INDOT officials have stated that a loop around Evansville is not part of the I-69 study. The study for "Segment 4" of I-69 is to determine a route to connect I-64 in Indiana to the Pennyrile Parkway near Henderson, Kentucky. Some local residents have asked INDOT to consider building new bridges to the east and to the west of Evansville.

The budget bill passed by the state House of Representatives did not restore funding for pre-construction work for the extension of the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway to I-24; however, State Senator Joey Pendleton (D-Hopkinsville) hopes that funding will be restored in conference committee meetings this weekend. In an earlier article, Pendleton had indicated he believed that the project would be added to the bill before its passage on Tuesday.

State Rep. Jim Bruce denies a role in the funding delay for building an extension of the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway from it current terminus near Hopkinsville to I-24. Funding for the project has been delayed from 2003 to at least 2005 in the new 2002 Six-Year Highway Plan. There is no formal record of how changes to the plan came about: it was conducted behind closed doors just like much of Kentucky politics has been done for 200 years; however, Rep. Bruce has been widely sighted as the cause for the delay.

Hopkinsville and Christian County officials say that the proposed extension is very important to development in the area.

The decision has apparently been made that Kentucky's future Interstate 66 and Interstate 69 will apparently use existing parkways. As reported earlier on KentuckyRoads.com, the 2002 Kentucky Official Highway Map shows parts of the Western Kentucky Parkway, Natcher Parkway, and Breathitt Parkway as Future I-66 and Future I-69. On Feb. 25, the Evansville Courier & Press carried an article stating that the map indicates that I-69 and I-66 will follow the existing parkways.

Email correspondence with Mike Hancock, executive director of the Transportation Cabinet's Office of Program Planning and Management, confirms that the decision has been made to utilize as much of the exiting parkway system as possible to route I-66 and I-69. Hancock said, "we are involved in a planning study that will help us determine the costs and impacts associated with upgrading the Parkways affected by I-69 to interstate standards. We will use this study to help us assess similar needs and issues relative to the I-66 Corridor." The parkways do not currently meet federal standards for interstates and will need to be upgraded before they officially become interstates.

Federal legislation has directed Kentucky to use the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway as part of I-66 and the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway as part of I-69. This legislation also directed Kentucky to erect "Future I-66" signs along the Cumberland Parkway and "Future I-69" signs along the Purchase Parkway. Hancock indicated that the Transportation Cabinet is working to erect this signs very soon.

Nine possible routes have been picked in the Evansville area according to this Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer article (no longer online). The routes include routes using I-164 east of Evansville and new terrain routes west of Evansville. Some would like to see I-69 be built west of Evansville to relieve truck traffic from industrial areas along the Ohio River in Posey County.

In a bit of old news, this June 28, 2001 article in Hopkinsville's Kentucky New Era reports that recently approved funding means that the KYTC will be able to move ahead on right-of-way purchases for an extension of the Pennyrile Parkway from Hopkinsville to I-24.

According to this Oct. 31, 2001 article (no longer online) on MyInKy.com, a renovation of the Henderson bypass (which is part of US 41 and the Pennyrile Parkway) is still years away. The road was built in the 1960s and is beginning to show its age.

The Gleaner (Henderson) reports in this October 4, 2001 article (no longer online) that an assistant state highway engineer told the Henderson Chamber of Commerce that very few decisions have been made. Among other things, he told the group that the Indiana Department of Transportation is taking the lead in choosing a route for I-69 between Evansville and Henderson. He pointed out that it still has not been decided whether the interstate should cross the Ohio River east or west of Evansville. He also said that while upgrading existing parkways to interstate standards remains an option for routing I-69 in Kentucky that is not the only option being considered. He said that the decisions will only be made after a period of public involvement.

As a side note, I once asked the KYTC if any of the parkways meet interstate standards and the response was that none of Kentucky's parkways meet interstate standards. Work would have to be done to any of the parkways that might be included as part of the eventual routing of I-69 and I-66.

The Gleaner (Henderson) reports in this Oct. 3, 2001 piece (no longer online) that state transportation engineers met today with the Henderson Chamber of Commerce about I-69 and US 60; however, there were no other details.

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